I recently got approved and surgery is scheduled on November 4th in Chicago! I'd love to talk to and meet others who are getting or have been recently banded. I'm 23 and living in the Chicagoland area. I'd really love to talk to all of you and track our progress together!

I am still on mushies. I will be one month out on the 21st and I hope by then, cleared for solids. Mushies were the best thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when I got off liquids. Now? Gah! I want some frakking food! But the chart says I eat the mush until I am a month out so I eat the mush.

I don't know exactly how much weigh I have lost by the numbers. I am staying off the scale until my first aftercare appointment on the 19th. I am all about healing and hanging loose, right now. My husband keeps telling me he sees a difference. I see a difference in the mirror. And, when I went in to see my surgeon for my follow up/staples out, he told me that I have lost weight, too. So, I've lost weight.

I feel pretty good, I am having trouble regulating my gut... For some weird reason, this time having surgery my body decided to take exception to it and is refusing to settle and regulate my gut. We're working on it. Hopefully it'll all settle, soon. I'm feeling the urge to start getting out and walking and so on but right now? Uh... Not happening.

I don't regret getting my surgery, tho. I am so happy with my band, It's working.

Hi gang,

First, thanks for the advice from someone on trying some warmer liquids post-surgery. You're right, a few days after, the cold drinks were hurting me, but warm Soup and such was amazing; much better.

I've been feeling a ton better each day. I was really out of breath when walking up stairs the first week. My diaphragm was irritated by the surgery and breathing deeply was painful, but now, 2 weeks out, I'm feeling much more normal. I'm still not back to normal, and the port can be sore, but it feels like it's healing rapidly now. And all the little surgery incisions are healing well.

My doctor has his patients do a strict 3 week liquid diet post-op, so I'm still in this phase, but I'm getting used to it. I also got a great blender and made my own soup (adding Protein powder to a completely smooth, blended soup) and although it's probably a bit thicker than the doc recommends, it seems fine for me, especially when I eat really slowly. I'll go in for my first post-op appt. tomorrow. Also, my doctor starts by filling the band quite a lot during surgery, instead of waiting till later appointments, so I think I'm already able to feel a bit of how it works, at least with liquid.

At the moment, I've lost 21 pounds just due to the liquid diet; it's neat to see such a big change in a short time. The rate of reduction is slowing down a little, but it's still really significant. My nutritionist specifies 600-800 calories per day in this phase (and all the way until goal weight, it seems.........) I'm a big guy and I never thought I'd be able to function with so few calories, but it's actually going well, and I'm losing 5 pounds per week currently; crazy!

Good luck, everyone. I'm curious to see how real food (soft and later solid) will affect me; so far the band isn't really doing anything except saying "you're not allowed to eat solid food!"

Great news I finally got my approval for the band! Yay! Obviously I didn't make it into the November group but my date is January 6. I pushed it back a bit because where I work we get new time at the first of the year and this way I can use vacation and not have to share what I am doing and have en entire week off. Hope everyone is doing well. I am very pleased to read the progress of everyone and cannot wait to join you on the road to success!

I have been at a stand still also. My first fill is next week! I know the stall is my own fault...I am eating less but not the right foods...and not getting in the exercise. I really need to get my act together! I hope with the fill things start moving, this will keep me motivated!

Hi All - haven't been on in a while and wanted to check in and see how all of my Nov buddies are doing. I'm almost 3 weeks out and feeling pretty good. It's been pretty cold outside so i'm not getting to walk as much as I would like but trying as much as possible.

I'm curious to see what stages people are at with eating and weight loss. I think I have been doing ok, but i'm not sure where to go with eating from here. The weight was dropping pretty quick from the pre-op diet and until about a week after surgery but since then I have been at a stand still for 2 weeks now. I know its a little early to get frustrated but it's pretty hard not to.

Wishing everyone good luck and happy banding thoughts.

Edited December 15, 201312 yr by KYBrownEyes

I agree...i think my food choices could be better but i definitely need to start adding exercise too . Can't afford a gym membership so maybe i'll have to look at some home workout dvds.

I agree...i think my food choices could be better but i definitely need to start adding exercise too . Can't afford a gym membership so maybe i'll have to look at some home workout dvds.

Try College Video. They sell tons and tons of great workout videos of all kinds and have good prices.

Thanks Icey One...I'll have to check that out.

Had my first fill this morning. Don't feel any different. Has anyone noticed a difference after their first fill???

Hi! I had my first fill last week. I have noticed a difference but really didn't day of. Are you on all liquids I was on liquids for 24 hours and then on mushy foods for 24 hours and then I was able to eat normally. I really didn't know what to expect after my first fill and its not what I thought. The first day back on real foods I was still eating softer foods and ate over a cup. I was able to do so but it made me extremely uncomfortable (heartburn and gassy). Since then I have been making sure to eat no more than 1 cup of food per sitting. I have had an issue of feeling stuck. I made tuna and tried to eat it on toasted bread (I had read somewhere that is the bread was toasted you would be able to eat it) and it was very clear after one bite that was not the case. Other than that I have been able to eat everything I have tried so far, I have just been trying to make good decisions about what that is. I could eat more than that cup but I realize that if I stop there and don't eat anymore I am full for prob 5 hours or so. I hope this feedback helps, I know everyone is different but even though the band is not exactly what I expected I am excited that it is helping me keep my portions way down.

Had my first fill this morning. Don't feel any different. Has anyone noticed a difference after their first fill???

I have my first aftercare appointment on the 19th and am questioning whether I will even ask for an adjustment, yet. I am quite content on a bandster portion of a cup or far less, stop when I feel satiety, not full and go hours between needing to eat. I get rumbly, my stomach growls but the sensation passes and I forget about it. I am beginning to feel a bit of head hunger encroaching, wanting to snack on junk for no good reasons. Totally in my head and so far, thanks to my healing, I have held it off. My band isn't head control... I still have to rock that sh*t on my own. Being aware of my band certainly helps and I am going to allow it to.

Veteran bandsters, I am wondering if I even need an adjustment at this time? Should I try a tiny one to just shave the edge off? Any words of wisdom are welcome and of course I will also listen carefully to the input from the pros at TR, as well. I don't want to pass on an adjustment then find myself casting around, starving hungry with no help at all. On the other hand, the way I am feeling now, how I am doing, now I don't want to rush, risk over filling too soon and too fast.

Edited December 17, 201312 yr by The Icy One

Had my first fill today. He put in 5 ccs. It stung a little bit but I really couldn't feel it filling and had no problem drinking a cup of Water after. I am on strict low cal liquid diet for 2 weeks plus two Protein Shakes per day. After 2 weeks I move up to 60cc of Soup three times a day plus the liquids and Protein shakes. After 4 weeks I move up to mushies plus the liquids and protein shakes. At 6 weeks I can have 3 Proteins per day at 60cc per day plus the liquids and protein shakes. I had lost 5 pounds from the last visit. This morning my scale showed a loss too, I keep track on my ticker of my weight just right before my pre op prep. So by my records, it's almost 15 lbs!

Finally got my staples out, today. Such a relief! I hated those freaky things! And I am so much more comfortable, now. When my surgeon had me lift my shirt to look at my incisions his eyes got big and he said, "You've lost weight!" And smiled. That made me feel good.

I am looking forward to my first aftercare appointment on the 19th. I'll get weighed, see how I'm doing numbers - wise and see if I am ready for an adjustment. Should be an interesting day.

I like my band.

I had surgery on November 21st. I get my first fill on December 19th as well. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. Good Luck!

I had surgery on November 21st. I get my first fill on December 19th as well. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. Good Luck!

Thanks! You, too.

Just had my first aftercare appointment and didn't need an adjustment, yet. She said that is normal with people who had a hiatal hernia repair. I'll probably need one by next month. Otherwise, I am down 21 pounds and doing well and can now transition to solid foods. Yay!

Just had my first aftercare appointment and didn't need an adjustment, yet. She said that is normal with people who had a hiatal hernia repair. I'll probably need one by next month. Otherwise, I am down 21 pounds and doing well and can now transition to solid foods. Yay!

Congratulations!!! 21 pounds in less then a month, that's awesome!